Baltic countries will demand payment from Russia for “damages from Soviet occupation”

Justice Ministers of the Baltic countries met in Riga on Thursday, and signed a memorandum of cooperation, which announced their intention to present to Russia (as a successor of the Soviet Union) a claim for damages from “the Soviet occupation”.

“The continuous succession of the Baltic States allows such requests. Under the international law, the damage from the occupation can be claimed in the form of compensation for material damage, as well as an apology,” – said the head of the Ministry of Justice of Estonia Urmas Reinsalu to “Interfax“.

As a first step the heads of ministries have agreed to develop a common methodology to assess the damage. Afterwards, based on international law, they are going to formulate a claim for compensation for the damage and prepare the necessary legal steps for the demand.

Reinsalu stressed that none of the Baltic countries has abandoned this requirement.

In addition, the agency will review the possibility to file the collective claims from individuals.

In Estonia, the damage caused by the repressive policies of the occupying regime was estimated by a special commission that completed its work in 2004, said the Ministry of Justice.